Big rig trailer slams into Subaru in Clearlake

CLEARLAKE -- A Clearlake woman was airlifted to an out-of-county hospital with undisclosed injuries after a big rig trailer slammed into her car Tuesday morning, a city police spokesman said.

The crash occurred just before 7:45 a.m. at the intersection of Highway 53 and Lakeshore Drive/40th Avenue, Clearlake Police Officer Aaron Winslow said.

Kelly Putrah, 28, was stopped at the light on Lakeshore Drive waiting to drive across the highway onto 40th Avenue when a big rig traveling southbound on the highway lost control and its trailer crashed into Putrah's Subaru, Winslow said.

An error by the driver of the big rig, Ricardo Maravilla, appeared to cause the wreck, the officer added.

Putrah was initially transported to St. Helena Hospital, Clear Lake before being transferred by helicopter to an out-of-county hospital, Winslow said. A 4-year-old girl riding in the back seat of the Subaru was uninjured.

Maravilla, 45, of Vacaville did not sustain any injuries in the crash, which remains under investigation, Winslow said.

Jeremy Walsh is a staff reporter for Lake County Publishing. Reach him at 263-5636, ext. 37 or jwalsh@record-bee.com. Follow him on Twitter, @JeremyDWalsh.